


Sugar and Spice

by Dess



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa 3: The End of 希望ヶ峰学園 | The End of Kibougamine Gakuen | End of Hope's Peak High School
Genre: Alternate Universe - Candy Shop, F/F, Fluff, Reader-Insert, coffee shop au style but it's a candy shop au, i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-01
Updated: 2017-05-01
Packaged: 2018-10-26 12:30:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10786788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dess/pseuds/Dess
Summary: It all starts with a visit in her candy shop.





	Sugar and Spice

**Author's Note:**

> I honestly can't believe I wrote over 3000 words in one day. My back is killing me.  
> Anyway, this is the Ruruka x Reader AU no one asked for but I wrote it anyway.  
> @my sister who did ask for it: have fun <3
> 
> If you find any mistakes, please let me know!

Usually, you don’t even visit candy shops.

Not that they don’t attract your attention, the colorful windows and the smell of candy and pastries surely did. Most of the time you’re just simply too busy to stop by or don’t have enough money on you or find that the shops are too crowded for you to enjoy the experience. You simply content yourself with the sight of the almost wonderland-like interior and hurry past. At least it gives you some energy to start the day in the morning and a way to relax a bit after a day of studying in the evening. College is no cakewalk, after all.

It is almost kind of sad. As a child, it had been your dream to run a candy shop, to make other people as happy as you had been every time you visited one. Now, you don’t even have the time to dream about that.

That was, until today. Class has been canceled today and you take the opportunity to finally take a closer look at one of those candy shops on your way home. You almost skip on your way, excitement filling you. How long has it been - a few years since childhood at least? Sure, the sweets from the grocery store are good enough to keep you alive between exams and lectures but candy from a real candy shop - that’s a whole other world.

Having finally arrived, you lay a hand on the door, suddenly hesitant. Another reason, why you hadn’t visited one of your favorite types of store for so long was your anxiety. You hate it, the way it creeps up your stomach into your throat, whenever you try to talk to people, wherever you are. It makes you prefer regular stores a lot more. Those are impersonal, detached from any kind of interaction aside from saying hello and handing the cashier the money.

This is a very different kind of store.

The lights shine warm and inviting as you open the door with a soft bell ring and step inside, immediately engulfed by the sweet aroma of the sugary goodness around you. You don’t get much time to admire the shop, though, as your dreamy eyed stare is interrupted by a man rushing past you and straight through door, throwing it open and disappearing into the crowd. You just stare after him, caught by surprise.

_Well, I’m certainly up for a good start._

“Hello, can I help you?”

Startled by the sudden question, you turn around and find yourself looking at the person behind the counter. It’s a woman, petite and slender and looking completely at home surrounded by the colorful interior of the shop. Short pink hair frames a pair of sharp but friendly eyes and a welcoming smile. You smile back, automatically. Her presence, combined with the warm atmosphere of the shop somehow manages to drain some tension from you. Not a bad feeling, you think.

“Thanks, but I’m just looking around.”

And you even manage not to stumble over any of your words. The day can hardly get any better.

You look at the shelves, filled with sweets and hesitate. It’s hard to even start searching when you don’t know what you’re looking for. You tilt your head, studying  the glass jars.

“I have a few recommendations, if you don’t mind trying something new.”

You flinch and spin around, startled by the sudden voice behind you. The woman somehow managed to get to you without you even noticing. Up close, she is strikingly beautiful and you wonder, how you didn’t notice it the first time you looked at her.

Noticing your stare, she simply smiles at you.

“Yeah, I...I wouldn’t mind,” you manage to say and instantly, embarrassment hits you.

_Real eloquent._

“Actually,” you add, trying to look not as tense as you feel, “I didn’t have anything specific in mind, so...I’d appreciate some help.”

The woman nods and turns to the shelves, looking at them and then pointing to some jars. A few of them are filled with something that looks like rock candy in different colors, some others with gummy candy. And even though all the colors are enough to make your head spin, it’s her hair that keeps your attention. It looks silky from where you’re standing and you can almost smell her shampoo-

“We have a few different flavors of that,” she points to the rock candy, “depends, on what flavor type you prefer. Are you the fruity or minty type?”

You blink a few times, your mind suddenly blank. It’s not like you weren’t paying attention, but you find it hard to concentrate on the candy.

“Uh...fruity, I think? I’m not sure, I usually eat chocolate but it kinda gets boring after a while.”

  The woman laughs softly, grabbing a plastic bag and putting some candy in.

“That just means, you didn’t try our chocolate yet. Actually,” she looks at you, “how about I give you some of my favorites and you just try them?”

You nod and smile back at her.

“Sounds good.” Then, you have a sudden idea.

“Some chocolate, too, please.”You point at the chocolate bars further away. They can’t be worse than store bought, right? And it’s not like you couldn’t always use some chocolate.

The woman grins.

“Taking the opportunity, since you’re already in the shop?”

You nod, wondering if your thoughts are that obvious.

She puts some of the bars into a separate bag and goes to the counter, checking you out. You hand her the money, surprised at how cheap it turns out to be. Either the candy shops in your childhood were way more expensive than they should be or you’ve stumbled onto a gem of a shop.

The woman hands you your bags and you smile at her again.

“Thank you, Miss...?”

“Andou,” she says, “Ruruka Andou. Just Ruruka is okay. Have a good day!”

“You too,” you reply and leave the shop, leaving the sweet scent behind. Fresh air hits your face as soon as you are outside and you can’t help but feel a bit giddy. That trip was definitely worth it.

\---

The next time you visit it’s not by chance but by choice. The candy you had tried proved to be delicious but it’s not the main reason you come back. You’re actually embarrassed to think about it but you can’t really deny it.

The candy doesn’t really matter to you. You just want to see Ruruka Andou again.

The bell chimes as you open the door, drawing the attention of the people inside. Ruruka stands at the counter again, in front of her the man you had seen the first time you went to the shop. His expression is hard to read but Ruruka smiles brightly at him before turning to you.

“Ah, hello again! You came a few days ago, right?”

Her voice is light and friendly but somehow, you feel uneasy. Who is this man, you wonder. He seems relaxed around Ruruka. Is he her boyfriend?

Catching your gaze, he nods at you curtly and turns back to Ruruka.

“I’ll get going then.”

His voice is pleasant, you notice. Normally, you would’ve found him attractive. However, with Ruruka present, he pales beside her.

“Alright, I’ll see you in the evening, Yoi-chan.”

You freeze, when she gives him a peck on the lips before waving him goodbye. Jealousy spreads inside you, burning like a black poison. It takes all you have to not just storm out of the shop.

_Keep calm. Just talk to her._

You manage a shaky smile, before turning to the candy jars. The rest of your shopping trip flies by and when you exit the shop, you wonder if you even were there in the first place.

\---

The next time you go, “Yoi-chan” isn’t there, much to your relief. Instead, Ruruka greets you with her usual cheery smile. You can feel yourself smile in return and greet her back.

“Did you like the candy I gave you last time?” Ruruka asks, looking at you from behind the counter.

You think back and try to remember which candy that was. After going home, you had just thrown all the candy into your mouth, not bothering to differentiate between flavors. Now you can’t even remember which flavors she had given you.

“Hm, I liked the ones you gave me in the beginning,” you say, trying to divert the topic onto something else. “I guess, I am the fruity type.”

Ruruka grins and turns her back to you to get something from the shelves behind her.

“That’s great, because I just tried some new recipes with fruity flavors. Want to try them?”

“Wait,” you interrupt, “you make the candy yourself?”

She turns to you, looking as if you had asked her if the sky is blue.

“Of course I do, this is my shop after all.”

Seeing the surprise on your face, she starts laughing.

“What, did you think I bought all the candy I’m selling? I would be in debt for decades if I did.”

You just look at her, newfound admiration filling you.

_She’s amazing._

She turns back again, only to pull out some sugar coated candy and offer you a piece. It melts on your tongue, the flavor of strawberries and peaches blossoming in your mouth. You close your eyes, savoring it.

“Well? What do you think?” Ruruka asks, her tone curious.

“It’s fantastic,” you murmur with your eyes still closed. “How do you do this?”

She giggles, the sound making your heart skip a beat.

“That’s a secret.”

You smile and open your eyes.

“This has to be witchery.”

The giggle turns into a laugh and you can’t help but laugh, too.

“Maybe.” Ruruka winks. “So, is that a ‘I’ll take it’?”

You nod. The candy is delicious and now that you know it’s her own work, you value it even more.

“Definitely.”

\---

After this, your visits become more frequent until you stop by almost every day, not only to buy candy but simply to chat. Sometimes you bring some coffee with you, which Ruruka gratefully takes, sometimes she is the one to offer you some tea and cookies or candy. It almost feels like back in high school, when you saw your friends every day. You swap phone numbers, too, and after a while you end up texting every day.

You learn a lot about Ruruka, too. She has been making candy ever since elementary school, she tells you, and she knew since then that she wanted to have her own candy shop. Her family had been supportive of her - her smile, when she talks about her family warms your heart - and had helped her along the way as best as they could. Yoi-chan has also always been by her side, ever since childhood.

Yoi-chan. Izayoi Sonousuke is his full name and it tastes bitter on your tongue. He is Ruruka’s boyfriend, you find out and even though you are happy for them (or so you tell yourself), the jealousy doesn’t stop burning you up whenever you see them together.

_It just isn’t fair._

You like her much more than he ever could.

Sighing, you open the door to the shop, greeted with the familiar chime of the bell and the sight of Izayoi at the counter. He is alone.

He nods at you and you greet him back, looking at him cautiously.

“Where’s Ruruka?” you ask, slight confusion in your voice. She didn’t say anything about being absent. Did she have to leave? Or, and your spine shivers with dread at the thought, is she avoiding you all of a sudden? Thinking about it makes a lump rise in your throat.

Izayoi takes his time to reply, simply watching you.

“She’s running some errands. The delivery got messed up and she has to sort it out,” he finally says, tone flat as always.

Relief floods you and you feel silly for assuming the worst case. Releasing a breath you didn’t realize you were holding, you turn to the candy jars like you did so often, looking for new creations. Avoiding Izayoi’s gaze that still lingers on you.

After a few minutes, Izayoi breaks the silence.

“You’re close with Ruruka, are you not?”

You turn around, surprised by the question and study his face. His expression betrays nothing of his thoughts, so you simply answer.

“I guess I am. Why are you asking, though?”

He stays silent for a while, then shakes his head.

“It’s nothing.”

You arch a brow at him but say nothing in return. Instead you turn your attention back to the candy and try to guess if any of them are made with the same recipe Ruruka showed you a while ago. It keeps your mind full enough to pass the time waiting for Ruruka.

No matter how long you wait, though, Ruruka doesn’t return and eventually, you decide to go home and come back tomorrow.

Just before you head out of the door, Izayoi’s voice stops you, so quiet that you almost don’t hear it.

“She’s happy with you.”

When you turn your head to face him, his eyes are wistful, not looking at you but at something you can’t see. He blinks before focusing his gaze on you.

“You better not hurt her.”

This time you leave with a throbbing heart and a head full of questions, none of which seem to have an answer.

\---

One day, you come by just in time to catch Ruruka not in her usual place behind the counter but in the middle of the shop, staring out of the window. You close the door behind you and stand next to her, curious to see what she is looking at.

It turns out to be a shop across the street, some smaller bakery turned candy shop, similar to Ruruka’s. You’ve seen from the street but never actually went inside. And now that you’ve become a regular at Ruruka’s store, there was no need to visit other shops.

That doesn’t explain why it caught her interest all of a sudden. You focus on it but the only thing you can see is a man putting up a ‘Out of business’ sign up at the door and fixing it with some tape. Your eyes flicker to Ruruka and catch a glimpse of delight in her expression.

“Did something happen?” you ask, not quite sure what this is about. “Something good, I mean.”

Ruruka turns to you, a sly smile on her face.

“You could say so.” Her voice is sweet, dripping with satisfaction.

“Do you see that?” She points at the shop and the sign you have seen just moments before.

“Yes, but I don’t really understand what that’s about. Do you mind telling me...?”

Something tells you, you may not quite like the answer but you ask anyway.

Ruruka pulls up a chair and sits down, looking at you.

“They were business  rivals, well, something like that. Actually, they were worse. We have a long history. I’ll spare you the details but a few times I caught them checking out my recipes, the secret ones.” She scoffs. “And if they were going to play dirty, why should I hold back? And now”, she gestures to the window, “I’ve won.” A glimmer of ruthlessness glints in her eyes and your heart skips a beat.

She is not only sugar but also spice.

Thinking back to this you’re sure, this is the moment you truly fell in love with her.

\---

One day you receive a text from Ruruka that makes you worry. Usually her texts sound upbeat, not too serious. This one is different.

‘Meet me at my shop after closing hour. I need to talk to you.’

And so you do.

Tension stiffens your shoulders as you walk down the street to her shop, anxious to hear what she has to say.

The usual bell chime greets you but this time it just adds to your anxiety. Ruruka is in the back of the shop, gesturing you to come closer when she notices you. Her face lacks the her usual smile, instead filled with worry and something you can’t quite decipher.

For a while, none of you speak. Then you decide to ask, not being able to stand the silence anymore.

“Are you alright? You wanted to talk to me.”

Ruruka sighs softly. It sounds sad, making you want to hold you in her arms and tell her, it’ll be okay. You watch her pace around the shop, waiting for her to continue.

“It’s just...”

Uncertainty swings in her voice and you can’t help the sting in your heart. She sounds so vulnerable, so unsure of whatever it is, that keeps her restless.

“It’s about Yoi-chan.”

Izayoi Sonousuke. You have to keep yourself from wincing. Starting with his exit on the very first day you visited this shop, he had left a lingering impression on you. And that one day, when you were alone with him in the shop didn’t make it better. His eyes seem to follow you, whenever you meet. And especially whenever you speak to Ruruka. It’s enough to make you grind your teeth, sparking resentment within you, resentment that you feel guilty for but can do nothing against. You know you shouldn’t let your irrational jealousy take control of you, shouldn’t feel this animosity towards him, should be happy for him, especially since she loves him so much. He loves her, too, and he makes her happy, so you should be content to just be Ruruka’s friend but still...

You shake that though out of your head and listen up, as Ruruka sits down at the counter and continues.

“I’ve been thinking. A lot, lately. And I think, I may need help figuring something out.”

She stops, chewing on her lip.

“We’re childhood friends, you know that. And we’ve been together as long as I can remember.”

You do. It’s only one of the things you envy Izayoi for.

Ruruka doesn’t notice your silence, continuing after hesitating slightly.

“So...it just seemed natural to become a couple at some point. We both thought that. We thought, what we had could only be love. You know, when you spend your entire life with someone, at some point you just stop questioning every feeling you have for them. And I thought, I loved him. I mean, I still think that. I-“ she pauses, drawing circles on the counter with a finger.

“I cannot imagine a life without Yoi-chan. And I do really love him. It’s just...”

Her finger stops, nail pressing into the wood. Slowly, you look up, just to find her mouth pressed in a thin line and her brows furrowed, as though she is fighting to get the words out. You decide to stay silent, to give her as much time as she needs.

“It’s just that I don’t love him like that. He feels more like a brother to me.”

She laughs quietly. Something in her voice sounds resigned but determined, as if she is about to make a decision she will regret but has to make nonetheless.

“And you know what? I don’t think I would’ve ever noticed if I hadn’t met you.”

That makes you look at her directly. A thousand questions spin in your head but you barely manage to get one out.

“What do you mean?”

She catches your gaze, holding it. A faint blush creeps up your face, the intensity of her eyes almost burning through you. If she notices it, she doesn’t say anything.  
Her hand on the counter clenches into a fist but she doesn’t seem to notice. A hint of bitterness seeps into her smile, even if she tries her best to hide it.

“I might as well say it, right? I have feelings for you.”

You freeze in place, not quite sure if you heard that right. That has to be a joke. A prank, a dream, something like that. No way this is real.

Ruruka looks away.

“You have every right to hate me for that. I’m sorry.”

Her voice quivers slightly.

“I never wanted this to come between us. I just...I don’t think, I could’ve kept this to myself much longer without going crazy.”

Her shoulders tremble too, now and you snap out of your haze, the blush on your face deepening.

_Oh my god._

Ruruka looks up, surprise clear on her face, as your hand brushes over her fingers, still clenched into a fist. You smile, happiness filling you until you feel out of breath.

“I don’t hate you. Ruruka, I’m not sure I ever could. I...”

You pause, at a loss for words. How can you possibly explain what you felt for her all these months?

Her hand relaxes, allowing you to entwine your fingers with yours. You smile even more, bringing her fingers to your lips and planting a single, soft kiss on the back of her palm.

An audible gasp escapes Ruruka and when you look up again, her eyes are wide and her cheeks red. She just stares at you for a few moments before finding her composure again.

“Does this mean...?”

Her voice carries hope in it, surprised but tinged with anticipation.

You’re sure you won’t be able to stop smiling today.

“Yes,” you manage to whisper. Stroking her hand with a thumb, you bow down to kiss it again.

Or you would but that opportunity is taken from you with a tug and the sensation of soft lips on your own. You flinch but don’t back down. Your mind seems to run one hundred miles per hour but there are no thoughts in your head to hold on to. The situation just seems so impossible, too good to be true, and so you try to make sense of what’s happening to you in this very moment.

Ruruka is in front of you. Slightly bent over the counter. Touching you.

Holding you.

Kissing you.

Reality starts to seep in and you can’t believe this is happening but it feels real, so real, and before you know it, you return her kiss, just like you wanted for so long. If this is a dream, you’re not sure you ever want to wake up again.

It feels like an eternity but eventually, Ruruka draws back ever so slightly, gasping quietly for air. Her breath feels warm on your lips and you lift one hand to stroke her cheek.

Ruruka looks you in the eyes and you see yourself reflected in them, red and flustered but with an undeniable look of bliss on your face.

“I can’t believe this is happening,” you whisper, drawing circles with your thumb. To your surprise, Ruruka looks somewhat unsure.

“Do you want it to happen?” she asks, still holding your gaze although you notice, how hard it is for her. “I mean, I...didn’t really leave you a choice.”

You laugh, making her furrow her brows in confusion. She looks adorable, even now. Especially now.

“If I didn’t want this, you’d be the first to know, I promise.” And quieter, you add something you’ve wanted to say for a thousand years now, it seems.

“I...Ruruka, I don’t know if I should say this yet but...I love you.”

For a moment, the world seems to stand still. Ruruka is silent, just looking at you.

The next moment, the world spins with double the speed. Everything seems to happen at once. You feel yourself stumbling backward, almost falling before Ruruka’s hand catches your arm and draws you close against her body. Only then do you notice that she jumped over the counter and is holding you again, hands slipping under your jacket, gripping your waist, pulling you as close as possible. Her lips meet yours again, soft, sweet, wanting and you lose yourself in her, burying your hands in her short hair, touching her as much as you can.

You don’t want to pull away from her but eventually you have to, panting and trying to catch your breath. Ruruka’s eyes shine brilliantly as she looks at you, slowly stroking your back. And when she opens her mouth, you somehow know exactly what she’s going to say.

“I love you, too.”

You stay like this for a long time, limbs entwined, completely content to just be in each other’s arms.

\---

The next morning you wake up to a feeling of complete happiness and two texts. One is from Ruruka.

‘I told Izayoi. He looked like expected it. Did you two talk to each other already or why was that so easy?’

You furrow your brows and look at the floor as if the answer was written on the floorboards. If you were to be honest, you have no idea. You expected him to be hurt, angry even - god knows you would be if your long time girlfriend and childhood friend had suddenly broken up with you. But from what Ruruka wrote, he already knew?

A sudden memory flashes through your mind, taking you back to the one time you were alone with Izayoi in the candy shop. He had been watching you and that look on his face when you had left...was it possible that he had known?

You close your eyes, inhaling and exhaling through your mouth, then open them again, looking at your phone. The second text is from an unknown number but the message makes it clear who wrote it.

‘I told you once and I’ll tell you again.: You better not hurt her.’

You look at the message for a long time before typing an answer.

‘I won’t. Thank you.’

It’s strange. You had expected Izayoi to be your worst enemy when it came to Ruruka’s affection and yet... He wasn’t.

A smile forms on your face and you get up and get dressed before writing a reply to Ruruka.

‘No idea. Maybe he is just that good at taking rejections? Anyway, how about lunch at that one café I told you about?’

You don’t really want to continue thinking about Izayoi. There is a talk or two you want to have with him but right now, you just want to enjoy the time at Ruruka’s side.

Your phone buzzes and shows her reply when you pick it up again.

‘Sounds good! Can’t wait to see my girlfriend :)’

Girlfriend. You blush at the sound of the word. It feels too good to be true.

You really could get used to this.


End file.
